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KMAX-TV

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KMAX-TV
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryTelevision broadcasting
FoundedOctober 5, 1974; 52 years ago (1974-10-05)
Headquarters
West Sacramento, California
,
United States
Area served
Sacramento metropolitan area
ProductsTelevision programming, local news, sports coverage
OwnerCBS News and Stations
ParentCBS News and Stations

KMAX-TV (channel 31) operates as an independent television station based in Sacramento, California. It is part of the CBS News and Stations portfolio, paired with Stockton-licensed KOVR (channel 13), which serves as the market’s CBS owned-and-operated station. Both stations share facilities located on KOVR Drive in West Sacramento, while KMAX-TV’s transmission tower is situated in Walnut Grove, California.

The station first went on air as KMUV-TV on October 5, 1974, established by Grayson Television Company with a schedule heavily focused on movies. Financial difficulties soon arose, leading to bankruptcy and a shift toward predominantly Spanish-language content. Various groups explored the possibility of over-the-air subscription television, but after Tandem Productions and Jerry Perenchio acquired the station in 1980, it was sold again. Koplar Communications revived the channel in 1981 under the call letters KRBK-TV, positioning it as a general-entertainment independent station. Throughout the 1980s, KRBK-TV became a strong competitor to Sacramento’s leading independent, KTXL, and developed a local news operation. Between 1988 and 2002, it broadcast games of the Sacramento Kings basketball team.

Facing significant financial strain, Koplar sold KRBK-TV to Pappas Telecasting in 1993. Two years later, the station joined The WB network, changed its call sign to KPWB-TV, and introduced a morning program that eventually evolved into Good Day Sacramento (now simply Good Day), a staple of local television. In 1997, ownership transferred to the Paramount Stations Group, and by January 1998 it became a UPN owned-and-operated outlet under the new call sign KMAX-TV. Paramount discontinued evening newscasts but expanded the Good Day Sacramento program. In 2005, KMAX-TV and KOVR formed a broadcasting duopoly, with channel 31 relocating to KOVR’s studios in West Sacramento. The following year marked its affiliation as a founding member of The CW, which lasted until 2023. Alongside Good Day, KMAX-TV broadcasts an 8 p.m. prime time news hour and local sports coverage.

Construction

In 1966, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received two competing applications for a new UHF television license in Sacramento on channel 15: one from Grayson Television Company led by Sidney Grayson, and another from Hercules Broadcasting Company, owners of Sacramento radio station KRAK. Grayson initially sought to negotiate Hercules’ withdrawal but later filed suit when Hercules did not comply. Hercules was ultimately granted the construction permit in July 1968 following a settlement with Grayson; nonetheless, Grayson acquired the permit in 1970 with plans to launch by 1972.[1][2] That same year, due to interference concerns affecting San Francisco public safety radio systems, the FCC reassigned the permit from channel 15 to channel 31.[3]

By March 1973, Grayson had obtained final engineering approval from the FCC.[4] The company leased studio space in Sacramento along with a transmitter site in Walnut Grove.[5] Despite delays during construction,[6] KMUV-TV commenced operations on October 5, 1974.[7] As an independent broadcaster at launch, its schedule primarily featured movies—airing three films daily with repeats—and included only one regular non-English program: a Spanish-language morning show titled Nuestra Casa es Su Casa.

The debut of KMUV-TV sparked controversy involving rival station KTXL (channel 40). During the channel reassignment process, KTXL challenged Grayson’s qualifications by submitting an alleged telex from Dun & Bradstreet claiming Grayson was president despite having a prior income tax evasion conviction. In fact, Grayson held the position of general manager rather than an officer role. This prompted an FCC investigation into possible forgery starting in August 1974.[8] In response, Grayson Television filed a $7.5 million lawsuit against Camellia City Telecasters—the owner of KTXL—in 1975, accusing them of obstructing KMUV-TV’s construction. An administrative law judge subsequently recommended denying renewal of KTXL’s license.[9] KMUV eventually reached a $150,000 settlement with Camellia City; however, in June 1978, the FCC reversed course and renewed KTXL’s license.[10]

Broadcasting in Languages Other Than English

In April 1976, KMUV-TV encountered financial strain, leading to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing amid 11 lawsuits and outstanding debts owed to banks and an executive. Channel 31, Inc.—previously known as Grayson Television—shareholders entered negotiations with Pappas Associates, headed by Mike Pappas and his brothers Harry and Pete, who owned KMPH-TV in Visalia along with several radio stations. Their intention was to transition channel 31 primarily to Spanish-language programming complemented by other ethnic shows, with a launch date set for May 3. FCC regulations prevented Pappas Associates from acquiring a minority interest; consequently, Mike Pappas obtained an option to purchase the entire station. Local Spanish-language offerings were sparse, including the magazine-style El Pueblo, a program covering the California State Legislature, and a weekly culinary show.

By 1978, there were discussions about changing ownership to transform channel 31 into an over-the-air subscription television (STV) outlet. Sacramento Television Inc., controlled 80% by attorney Carl B. Hilliard Jr. and 20% by Universal Subscription Television (US-TV)—a company predominantly owned by Canadian CanWest Capital Corporation—agreed to buy KMUV-TV, which was then operating as a debtor in possession. Universal aimed to broaden its subscription TV services across the country. However, this transaction ultimately did not materialize. In July 1980, the FCC granted approval for KMUV-TV’s $7.7 million purchase by Tandem Productions and Jerry Perenchio, who planned to establish a subscription service on channel 31. Tandem and Perenchio were collaborators in the ON TV STV service on WXON Detroit; additionally, Perenchio held ownership stakes in New York’s WNJU-TV and part of KBSC-TV’s subscription operation in Los Angeles.

KRBK-TV: Era of Koplar Ownership

Soon after acquiring KMUV-TV, Tandem Productions and Jerry Perenchio abandoned their subscription TV ambitions due to stiff competition from cable networks and microwave distribution systems. They sold the station to Koplar Broadcasting, the proprietor of St. Louis’s KPLR-TV, which opted not to pursue subscription television on channel 31.

Under Koplar’s stewardship, KMUV-TV was essentially starting anew with very limited audience engagement. Gail Brekke, formerly national sales manager at KPLR-TV, was appointed general manager in Sacramento; upon arrival, she discovered only four usable chairs and ten operational telephones. The station relaunched as KRBK-TV on April 6, 1981, positioning itself as a general-entertainment independent channel. Within twelve months, staff numbers grew from eight to forty-five employees, and satellite reception equipment was installed. Early programming prioritized children’s shows to capture younger viewers.

In 1984, Koplar relocated KRBK-TV’s transmitter to the 1800-foot elevation on the new KCRA-TV tower located in Walnut Grove—raising its height by approximately 800 feet—and stereo broadcasts commenced the following year. By 1985, KRBK-TV had expanded its market share significantly and closed the gap with rival station KTXL.

When the NBA's Kansas City Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985 and became the Sacramento Kings, their initial television partner was ABC affiliate KOVR (channel 13), which aired twenty games each season. In 1988, KRBK submitted a bid to televise thirty games; although this bid was lower than that of KOVR’s and despite KOVR having matching rights, KOVR chose not to match it. As a result, KRBK secured the broadcast rights and hired Grant Napear as the play-by-play announcer. This agreement was renewed in 1990.

Launching a news division

Following the relaunch of channel 31, Koplar introduced a local newscast at 10 p.m. hosted by Gary Lindsey two years later, aiming to rival KTXL's news program. In March 1985, Prime News shifted its airtime from 10 to 10:30 p.m., but by July, Koplar restructured the news team and discontinued the broadcast.

On January 27, 1986, the station debuted the revamped 31 News Tonight with Christine Craft as anchor, who was notable for her age and gender discrimination lawsuit against KMBC-TV. Despite her prominence, the newscast struggled to gain traction, capturing only a 2% audience share by May 1986. Within a year, network veteran Robert Dyk replaced Tim Klein as anchor. When original sports director Rich Gould departed in 1987, Grant Napear joined from WAND in Decatur, Illinois.

In September 1989, the newscast moved to a 9 p.m. slot to avoid direct competition with KTXL and to preempt a possible schedule change by KCRA; this shift led to immediate improvements in ratings. Craft exited the following month to pursue legal studies.

Scott Jones assumed the role of news director in 1990, implementing a faster-paced format emphasizing crime and education coverage. By November, viewership increased from 3% to 5%. A second evening newscast at 9:30 p.m. was introduced in September 1991 to allow reporters to provide timely updates within the hour. Jones departed in 1992 for a corporate position at Koplar Communications.

KPWB-TV: Pappas acquisition, WB affiliation, and 31 Action News

By 1993, Koplar Communications was experiencing financial difficulties due to the early 1990s recession, heightened competition, and expensive programming obligations, accelerating debt accrued since acquiring KRBK-TV in 1981. Syndicators scrutinized Koplar's financial liabilities amid speculation about selling KRBK-TV alongside Sacramento’s KSCH-TV as a package deal. Although Tribune Company entered negotiations to purchase both stations, talks collapsed following objections from syndicators. Subsequently, Pappas Telecasting acquired KRBK-TV for $22 million in July 1994, creating a programming partnership with Koplar's KPLR-TV. After taking ownership, Pappas implemented a contentious dress code prohibiting women from wearing slacks.

Prior to the sale, KRBK-TV had committed to affiliating with The WB network launching in 1995. On January 11, 1995, under Pappas ownership, the station rebranded as KPWB-TV and became a WB affiliate. It also extended its Sacramento Kings broadcast rights to cover 35 games per season before scaling back to 25 games during the 1996–97 season.

In September 1994, KPWB shifted its news broadcast from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., placing it in direct competition with KTXL, KSCH (later KQCA), and CBS affiliate KOVR. Despite operating with limited resources—only about 25 news staff compared to larger competitor teams—and ranking third in ratings at the 10 p.m. slot, KPWB pursued differentiation through innovative reporting techniques.

Pappas made significant investments in news operations by quadrupling newsroom personnel and launching a local morning program titled The Morning Show in August 1995. In January 1996, the evening news was rebranded as 31 Action News, transitioning from an hour-long broadcast at 10 p.m. to two half-hour newscasts airing at 7 and 10 p.m., designed for viewers with busy schedules. The anchor lineup was revamped with John Alston joining from WSB-TV Atlanta. Additional newscasts were introduced at 11:30 a.m. in August 1996 and at 11 p.m. in June 1997, making KPWB-TV’s local news output the second-largest in Sacramento with five hours of daily coverage.

KPWB-TV also oversaw two other Pappas-owned stations in Reno: WB affiliate KREN-TV and Univision broadcaster KUVR-LP.

KMAX-TV: Transition to Paramount Ownership and UPN Affiliation

On July 16, 1997, the Paramount Stations Group revealed its plan to purchase KPWB-TV from Pappas for a sum exceeding $100 million, a transaction financed through Viacom's sale of Connecticut's WVIT to NBC. As a co-owner of UPN, which competed directly with The WB, Paramount sought to acquire KPWB-TV anticipating that KQCA would not renew its UPN partnership.[11] Consequently, on January 5, 1998, Channel 31 adopted the UPN affiliation in Sacramento and rebranded itself as KMAX-TV, while The WB programming shifted over to KQCA. The station introduced an early prime time slot from 7 to 9 p.m. for UPN content and reinstated a 9 p.m. newscast.[12] Paramount initially committed to increased funding for news production, syndicated shows, and expanding its sales team,[13] though within a year, both the early prime time schedule and the evening newscast were discontinued despite favorable ratings.[14] By August 14, 1998, KMAX discontinued its evening news broadcast and returned to the standard UPN schedule of 8 to 10 p.m., reflecting Paramount’s wider strategy of reducing local news expenditures across its stations.[15]

Following Viacom’s merger with CBS in 2000, the Paramount Stations Group was consolidated with CBS’s owned-and-operated stations under a single division.[16]

During the 2002 NBA playoffs, KMAX aired pre- and post-game segments of Good Day Sacramento around Sacramento Kings games. Maloof Sports and Entertainment, the Kings’ ownership group, managed advertising sales for these broadcasts but later disputed revenue-sharing arrangements with KMAX. After prevailing in arbitration against the station, the Kings transferred their broadcast rights to ABC affiliate KXTV, ending nearly a decade and a half of Kings coverage on Channel 31. Additionally, KMAX aired select games of the co-owned Sacramento Monarchs women's basketball franchise.[17]

Duopoly Formation with KOVR

In December 2004, Viacom Television Stations Group acquired KOVR from Sinclair Broadcast Group for $285 million as part of both companies’ efforts to establish duopolies in various markets. Subsequently, KMAX-TV relocated its operations to KOVR’s studios in West Sacramento, resulting in 11 staff positions being eliminated due to overlapping roles.

After The WB and UPN merged into The CW in 2006, KMAX became one of eleven former UPN owned-and-operated stations to affiliate with The CW. Despite integration with KOVR’s facilities, KMAX did not immediately reinstate an evening newscast but eventually launched a weeknight newscast at 6:30 p.m. by 2019.

On October 3, 2022, Nexstar Media Group acquired majority control of The CW. Under this agreement, CBS retained the option to end affiliations at KMAX and seven other stations. Exercising this right on May 5, 2023, CBS announced that KMAX-TV would cease its CW affiliation by August and return to independent status; the CW affiliation subsequently moved to KQCA.

Good Day

On August 14, 1995, while under Pappas ownership, KPWB-TV debuted The Morning Show, a three-hour program blending news updates, feature stories, traffic reports, and weather forecasts designed to compete with national morning shows.[18] After eight months on air, it was renamed Good Day Sacramento to emphasize its local focus.[19] The combination of weather information, traffic updates, entertainment segments, and engaging personalities attracted viewers;[20] by early 1998, it had tripled its market share and ranked as Sacramento’s second most-watched morning program after NBC’s Today.[21]

Originally airing from 6 to 9 a.m., Good Day Sacramento advanced its start time to 5:30 a.m. in August 1998,[22] added an additional hour at 9 a.m. in 2000,[23] and expanded further to begin at 5 a.m. by 2002—totaling five hours daily.[24]

In the early part of the decade, the station launched an evening counterpart titled Good Evening Sacramento on two occasions. The first iteration aired briefly in 2001,[25][26] followed by a second run from August 2003 until September 2004.[27] After discontinuing the evening edition, weekend editions of Good Day Sacramento were introduced.[28]

By 2009, weekday broadcasts began at 4:30 a.m.;Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content by 2020 the program extended through 11 a.m., divided into two segments—a morning block from 4:30 to 7 a.m., simulcast on both KOVR and KMAX, followed by a segment from 7 to 11 a.m. exclusive to Channel 31.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content In 2019, the show was renamed simply Good Day to reflect coverage extending beyond Sacramento.[29]

Primetime Sacramento

Following KMAX-TV's shift to independence in 2023 and the resulting absence of CW programming, the station introduced Primetime Sacramento, a news segment airing at 8 p.m., anchored by Tony Lopez. This time slot was strategically chosen by Deborah Collura, general manager of KOVR–KMAX, marking a pioneering move within the local market.

Sports

Since 2019, KMAX has served as the broadcaster for all home games of the Sacramento State Hornets football team. Additionally, in 2024, the station expanded its coverage to include a Hornets away game against Fresno State.

Distinguished Former On-Air Personnel

  • Chris Burrous – served as anchor and reporter on Good Day Sacramento circa 2005–2010
  • Kinsey Schofield – functioned as anchor and reporter for Good Day Sacramento in 2017

Subchannels

KMAX-TV transmits from the KXTV/KOVR tower located in Walnut Grove, California. Its broadcast signal is multiplexed as follows:

KMAX-TV Subchannel Details
Channel Resolution Aspect Ratio Identifier Content
31.1 1080i 16:9 KMAX-DT Primary KMAX-TV programming
31.2 480i NOSEY Nosey network
31.3 QVC1 QVC
31.4 QVC2 QVC2
31.5 Movies Movies! channel
31.6 MeToons MeTV Toons
31.7 (KCSO-LD) TLMD33 Telemundo (via KCSO-LD)

Transition from Analog to Digital

Digital broadcasts commenced on channel 21 for KMAX-TV on June 19, 2003. The analog transmission on channel 31 was discontinued on June 12, 2009, consistent with the federally mandated transition to digital television in the United States. Subsequently, on May 1, 2020, the station’s digital frequency shifted from channel 21 to channel 24 as a result of the 2016 wireless spectrum auction.

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sacr720123
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sacr710515
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  21. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sacr980425
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  27. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sacr040715
  28. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sacr040930
  29. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BC191028
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